Method of charge forming



Patented May I8, 1937 METHOD OF CHARGE FORMING John T. Havekost, JacksonHeights, N. Y., and

Otto K. Zwingenberger, Elizabeth, N.-J.; Paula Zwingenberger,administratrix of said Otto .K. Zwingenberger, deceased, assignor tosaid Havekost y Application July 11, 1930, Serial No. 467,212 RenewedMay 15, 1936.

is Claims.

' For more than a decade, three different and perplexing facts made itdiflicult for the oil refiner to effect a balance in his operations:

1. A rapidly swelling demand from the motoring public for more gasoline,this demand having multiplied nearly four times in the past decade;

2. Inability, with the existing processes, to derive more than 42% ofgasoline from crude oil; and I 3. Consequent overproduction of heavyfuel oil and other residues far and above the market demands.

In view of this rapidly swelling demand for gasoline and ofthe'overproduction of crude oil, the importance of an invention, whichoflers relief in this situation by effecting the transformation of crudeoil into gas for power purposes is, therefore, apparent.

This invention relates to the transformation of heavy fuel oil into afuel of low boiling point, which is readily vaporized into agas/suitable for internal combustionengines, as, for instance, thoseused for running of industrial machinery as well as vehicles, such asautomobiles,'busses, trucks, boats, and other means of transportation.

It is known that heavy fuel oils, as a source for power, have theadvantage over the fuel oil applied prior hereto for the operation ofcombustion engines in that they furnish a higher power effect at a lowercost owing to better thermal efficiency and the lower cost of the rawfuel oil.

If, notwithstanding such advantages obtainable by the use of heavy fueloils, their application was not universally adopted, such failure wasprobably due to the fact that the heavy and were, therefore, not burnedup completely.

Residues, such as carbon, soot and the like were formed, and would coverthe spark plugs, and so forth, whereby considerable annoyances werecaused.

Though we are aware that the problem of burning heavy fuel oils forpower purposes is solved to some extent by the Diesel motor, other typesof internal combustion engines, receiving a charge of an explosive gasmixture from an outside source, are, however, still restricted to theapplication of a relatively low boiling liquid, the vapors of which formwith air an explosive gas mixture. Such liquids are chiefly the lowboiling liquid hydrocarbons of the type, CnH2n+2, for instance, in theform of the well-known gasoline as supplied by the oil companies, whilethe application of heavy fuel oils, or heavy hydrocarbons, in suchexplosive engines, notwithstanding many efforts to solve the problem,have failed and have not furnished one practical solution which would bein use even on a moderate scale. It is an object of this invention toprovide ways and means by which heavy fuel oils may be transformed andapplied to internal combustion engines in a manner similar to theutilization of gasoline so that the inherent energy may be developed ascompletely as possible in order that a high thermal effect similar tothe effect given by the Diesel motormay be attained.

Under heavy fuel oils we understand all such hydrocarbons which areofhigher specific gravity and boiling point than gasoline and, therefore,I

are not any more included in the class constituting what presently issold as gasoline on the market.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means for applyingheavy fuel oils in an internal combustion engine so that, without anymaterial change of this type of machine, the cooperation with theaforesaid engine of a desired supply of operative fuel for theproduction of an explosive gas mixture may proceed according to demand.

It is also an object of the invention to provide means by which not onlyall the gas for the machine, but, if desired, more than the requiredamount can be produced.

With these and other objects in view, which will be more apparent as thedescription proceeds, reference is hadto the accompanying drawing,illustrating by way of example how we may proceed in the operation ofourinvention in connection with an average type of an internalcombustion engine.

On the drawing,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a combustion engineembodying the means for carrying our invention into effect, parts of themeans, in relation to the cylinder of the combustion engine shown, beingin somewhat larger proportion, and parts being shown in section so asmore fully to disclose essential parts;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view, showing a bypass of the exhaustpipe to provide a passage through a part of the device in which thetransformation is effected;

Figure 315 a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modified form ofthe reaction chamber, and Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional plan viewshowing the spacedrelation of the inlets for oil, air and water vapor,or steam.

On the drawing, numeral i0 denotes the cylinder of a combustion engineof any of the usual types, II is the inlet pipe for the fuel gas, and I2is the exhaust pipe for the burned gases. Two elbow pipes l3 and I4branch off from this exhaust pipe I2 and are joined to a hollowcylindrical vessel |5 having, centrally arranged therein a cylindricalwall l6 so as to form a chamber l'l communicating, by the elbow pipes I3and H, with the exhaust pipe l2.

The cylindrical wall l6 rises perpendicularly from the bottom of thechamber its upper end is outwardly flared at its union with the roof ofthe same chamber. The cylindrical wall l6 thus forms a reaction chamberl8 which is open at its lower end, and is closed by a cap I!) at itsupper wider end, closed. Through cap IS, the chamber may be connectedwith an oil feed pipe 2|), an air admission pipe 2| with apertures 22 atits upper terminal regulated by means of a cap 23, and a pipe 24 for theadmission of steam or water.

The pipes 20 and 24 are so positioned in relation to each other that ajet of oil from pipe 20 and a jet of steam or water from pipe 24intersect with each other substantially at the middle, or on the axis,of the cylindrical reaction vessel I8, and closely above the catalyzer25, which may be arranged within a tube 25 of fused quartz, porcelain,fire clay, or the like refractory material, tube 26 being in closecontact with wall IS The catalyzer 25 is made of asbestos covered with ametal oxide, as will be further explained below, or may consist of somemetal wire netting, it being by no means necessary that the catalyzer 25be arranged within tube 26, but, for matters of observing the work ofthe various catalyzers, we prefer to have it, at present, in the chamberso as to exclude any consideration of the contemporaneous action of theiron in the catalyzing reaction.

Pipe 20 is connected with a storage tank for oil (not shown), and may becontrolled by valve 21. The pipe 24 is connected with any suitable watersupply (not shown), and by the branchpipes 28 and 29, is incommunication with a steam or water vapor generator 30, here shown asoperatively surrounding exhaust pipe I2. A valve 3| is interposed inpipe 24 between the connections thereto of pipes 28 and 29, the latterhaving valves 32 and 33, respectively, interposed therein.

The reaction chamber |8 has an extension chamber 34, arranged below andfully communicating with reaction chamber H! to serve as a condensingchamber, for which purpose it is surrounded by a cooler 35 provided withinlet and outlet tubes 36 and 31, respectively, for the cooling water.

A vertically arranged S bend 38 connects at its upper end with thecondensing chamber near the lower end of reaction chamber H! where theproducts from the reaction chamber are still in the gaseous form. Inabout the middle of its vertical part the S bend communicates with inletpipe H of cylinder I0, and its lower end co-operatively connects with acarburetor 39, which have a bypass for air.

The condensing chamber 34 is provided at its lower end with a drainagepipe 40 which communicates by pipe 4| with a storage tank (not shown),from which, by pipe 42, carburetor 39 may be fed. The pipe 4| isprovided with a check valve 43, and pipe 42, with a valve 44.Furthermore, pipes 40 and 42 may be put into communication by aconnection piece 45, consisting of a valve and connecting nipples, sothat, upon closing valve 44 and opening valve 45, .carburetor 39 may befed directly from condensing chamber 34.

The inlet pipe H is cut and provided at both its ends withperpendicularly disposed standards 46 so as to serve as journals for avane 41 provided with a set of propellers 4'| rotarily arranged betweenthe ends of the inlet pipe II and within a suitable housing 55 betweenand fixedly retaining the ends of pipe I I. The housing is connectedwith exhaust pipe |2 by a pipe 48 having a valve 49. Upon opening valve49, the pressure of the exhaust gases acts on the turbine or drivingblades 47 of vane 41, to impart rotary motion thereto, the exhaust gasesleaving through pipe 50 to be discharged again into exhaust pipe |2 nearits exit.

Wire screens 5| are interposed in S bend 38 to arrest any back firingfrom engine Ill.

A plate valve 52 is arranged in the lower end of bend 38, somewhat abovecarburetor 39, and another plate valve 53 is arranged in the verticalpart of bend 38 slightly above the highest point of inlet pipe bothplate valves being spacedly related to each other and co-operativelyengaged by a lever system 56 so that, when one of them is closed, theother is open, and vice versa.

A plate valve 54 is, furthermore, rotatably arranged within exhaust pipe|2 for the purpose of shutting off elbow pipe |3 from connection withexhaust pipe |2.

In view of the object of the invention to apply heavy fuel oils as asource of motive power for internal combustion engines, we assume, tosimplify the description of how we proceed to operate such an internalcombustion engine by our invention, that the engine has already run forsome time, and that its exhaust pipe is at the maximum temperature towhich it is ordinarily heated by the exhaust gases.

In the operation of our invention, we proceed about as follows:

We fill the storage tank (not shown) with a heavy fuel oil, as, forinstance, Pennsylvania crude oil, which preferably has been deprived ofits sediment by filtering or like operation, and further wasde-sulfurized by any of the well known methods; then we adjust valve 21so that a predetermined quantity of the heavy fuel oil, as, forinstance, 2 gallons per hour, may pass through pipe 20 into the bellshaped funnel of the reaction zone, or chamber l8. When oil is started,air is delivered from pipe 2| by a vane propeller such as describedabove, the air entering through apertures 22 of cap 23; furthermore,

we admit water, or water-vapor, or steam, through 'a pipe 24 fromgenerator 30.

The water-vapor or steam is generated by closing valve 3| and openingvalve 33 so as to admit water into generator 30, wherein the heat of theexhaust gases, penetrating through the wall of exhaust pipe |2,evaporates the water, the vapor of which then escapes through open valve32 and through pipe 24 into reaction chamber l8.

As already stated, the inner wall of reaction chamber 3 is lined by afused quartz tube or other similar refractory material. By suitablesupports, (not shown), catalyzer '25 is arranged in the tube.

This catalyzer 25 may consist of a metal in any suitable form, as, forinstance, in the form of wire netting, clippings, balls, rods, or in theform of a fine precipitate coating of granulated refractory material; infact, any form ofl'ering a considerable surface to gases, withoutsubstantially reducing quantitatively the flow of the gases, may beapplied.

As catalyzers, we may apply any of the socalled noble metals, such asplatinum, palladium, gold, silver, and also the base metals, such ascopper, nickel, aluminum, iron, cobalt, manganese, or any other metal,the oxide or oxides of which are known to burn up hydrogen at ordinaryor elevated temperatures.

While we have stated above that we apply the catalyzers in the form of ametal having a great surface, we may apply the catalyzer directly in theform of an oxide of the metals specified above.

.Such an oxide catalyzer is formed, for instance, by first saturatingasbestos fibres, preferably of long staple, or an asbestos fabric ofvery wide mesh, with a solution of a salt of the selected metal, as, forinstance, copper sulfate, silver nitrate, or the like, then acting onthe metal salt with an alkali metal hydroxide, thereby precipitating themetal in form of its hydroxide, and

heating the washed hydroxide to remove the water therefrom and obtainingthe metallic oxide thereby.

We prefer particularly as catalyzers the oxides of those metals whichare known to burn up hydrogen at a low temperature, either below orapproximately at the boiling point of water, that is, at approximately100 C.; such metals, also preferred on account of their relatively lowprice, include silver, copper, and nickel.

Taking copper, for instance, as a catalyzerby way of example, we applythe same in the form of wire netting of relatively wide mesh, a strip ofthe netting being rolled up so as to form a twisted or spiral path andto give a swirling motion to the gaseous and liquid materials within thereaction chamber.

It is advantageous to form the mixture of air, water in liquid or vaporform, and oil in the upper bell of the reaction chamber over catalyzer25, which may be of copper or silver. This is heated by the hot exhaustgases, which pass from exhaust pipe i2 through elbow l3 into chamber IIto heat inner wall I 6 and thereby heat the catalyzer 25.

This catalyzer is preheated to a temperature sufilciently high to startthe reaction before the mixture of oil, air and steam is passed over it.

When such temperature is reached, the above described mixture is startedupon the catalyzer, the oxygen of the copper oxide attacks the oil inthe presence of steam, which is admitted chiefly to avoid explosions inthe reaction zone, and, lighter hydrocarbons are formed; the oxygen ofthe air re-oxidizes the copper or other metal catalyzer and thisalternate reduction of the metal oxide to metal and the re-oxidation ofthe same cause the process of transforming the heavy fuel oil. Throughthis reaction a minor fraction of the oil is destroyed.

During this operation, valve 53 may be closed so that the vapors of thenewly formed light hydrocarbons cannot pass into the inlet pipe of thecombustion engine, but must descend into condensation chamber 34 wherethe hydrocare bons are dephlegmated by a cooling agent, for instance,water-in chamber 35a, acting upon the walls of chamber 34 and upon acoil 35b connected to chamber 351: so as to induce convection currentsof the fluid. The discharge of uncondensable gases, such as the nitrogenof the air and carbon dioxide, is described below.

The temperature in the reaction chamber rises, and with the admission ofoil, air and steam adjusted. the reaction becomes self-sustainingwithout further heating by the exhaust gases. The particular temperatureat'which this stage is reached may vary with various catalyzers, but mayeasily be ascertained by a thermometer and, with a copper catalyzer,lies at red'glow heat.

If we now consider running the internal combustion engine with thereaction products, we

First, by condensing all the reaction products in chamber 34; runningthe internal combustion engine with a gasoline mixture obtained from thereaction products discharged throughpipe 40 and valve 45, valve 44 beingclosed into "carburetor 39 operatively connected with the inlet pipe H,through the S bend, valve 52 being open and upper valve 53 closed.

Secondly, lower valve 52 and valves 45 and 44 are closed, and uppervalve 53 is fully open, so that the engine is run directly with thereaction products coming from reaction chamber I8. In this case,however, the surplus of the reaction products condenses withincondensation chamber 34 and pass through check valve 43 and pipe 4| tothe storage tank, not shown.

Thirdly, valves 52 and 53 are so adjusted or regulated that both valvesare partly open, and the internal combustion engine is operated partlywith the gaseous reaction products and partly with the gasoline mixtureobtained by draining into carburetor 39 the condensate of the eactionproducts from the storage tank (not shown) through the valve 44, valve45 being closed into the carburetor 39 and discharging the gasifiedmixture from the carburetor into the lower elbow of the S bend, where itcombines with the aforesaid part of the reaction products and the wholemixture passes into the engine.

When the internal combustion engine is in full operation and constantlyexhausts burned have three different possibilities of operating it:

gases, these expanding gases may also be discharged through open valve49 of pipe 48 upon the outer set of the turbine or driving blades 41b ofvane 41, and thus cause movement of air and the reaction products undersomepressure into the combustion engine. After the impact of theexpanding exhaust gases on driving blades 41b, the gases leave casing 55around inlet pipe II I through exhaust 50 and empty into conduit pipe l2near its exit.

The diameter of the reaction chamber l8 will determine how much gaseousfuel is produced by converting the heavy fuel oils into lighthydrocarbons; the reaction zone is always somewhat larger thannecessary, and the unused, part of the reaction products condenses inchamber 34, to be stored in a tank (not shown) Though we here describevane 47 and its ef feet, We are aware that the same is not absolutelynecessary and that its function may be effected by other devices, and inview of the suction by the piston of the combustion engine, it may evenbe entirely dispensed with.

As the decomposition of 'the oil in reaction chamber I8 is renderedself-maintaining and continuous, it is obvious that temporarily stoppingthe engine does not interfere with starting the apparatus again. Therealways is produced enough of the condensate, which can be accumulatedeither in condensing chamber 34,,

or, in the storage tank (not shown) connectedtherewith by pipe 4|, thatby feeding the condensate into'carburetor 39 to produce an explosive gasmixture for the engine, the engine can again be placed in operationafter an interruption. Furthermore, the transformation of the oil inreaction chamber l8 may be continued after stopping the engine by simplycontinuing.

the introduction of oil and water vapor into reaction chamber l8 andtaking care that the admission of the air into the same continues asbefore.

We have described above the best mode of carrying out our invention asfar as is known to us at the present state of its development. Variouschanges could obviously be made without deviating from the spirit, orsacrificing the advantages, of our invention; so, for instance, the re-.

action'chamber could be arranged around the outside of the exhaust pipe.Furthermore, the steam, which is desired for the reaction oftransforming the heavy fuel oil into the gaseous fuel, may be generatedalso in some other vessel than the steam chamber 30 shown in Figure 1;there are other possibilities to produce steam, as, for instance, theheat generated by the reaction between the oil and the air forming apart of our invention and from any source connected in some way or otherwith the combustion process within an internal combustion engine.

We wish to say, in connection with this supply of steam into thereaction chamber, that it is by no means necessary to introduce steam orwater vapor into the reaction chamber; the chamber is always at atemperature sufliciently high to transform immediately such amounts ofwater into vapor as is necessary for the smooth operation of thereaction which is of exothermic character, and, therefore, can be soregulated as to take care of the immediate vaporization of water in thereaction chamber.

It is one of the'desirable features of our method that the mixture ofthe-oil spray, air and water vapor passes through the reaction chamberin a vertical direction and that at each area, or crosssection, of saidreaction chamber the spaced re-- consequently also the spaced relationbetween the catalyzer and the gases, resulting from the contact ofaforesaid mixture with said catalyzer, if uniform. It is evident,therefore, that the aforesaid mixture everywhere meets with the sameequal resistance so as to guarantee an even distribution in each areawith the result that the chemical reaction goes on evenly within "eachsinglearea of the reaction chamber and that the generation of thegaseous products in the reaction chamber is thus confined to an area inwhich they are subject to a relatively minimum and uniform frictionalresistance.

In the modified arrangement illustrated by Figures 3 and 4, exhaust pipeI2 is centrally disposed within reaction chamber 60, and catalyzer 25 isarranged on the outer wall of exhaust pipe l2. The reaction chamber 60is covered with a plate SI through which an oil feed 62 is tightlyarranged and suitably perpendicularly disposed. The steam supply 63 isarranged coaxially within air pipe 64, the outlets of both furthermorebeing in the same plane and slightly below the perpendicularly disposedoil feed 62 so that, when steam and air is blown into reaction chamber60, the incoming oil is dispersed into a fine spray. It is shown byFigure '4 that the position of pipes 63 and 64 relative to the insidewall of reactionchamber 60 is substantially parallel to the tangent onthe peripheral circumference of the outside wall. The fine spray of oil,air and steam follows.

therefore, a helical path in its'travel through the reaction chamber.

A chamber 65 may surround the reaction chamber 60, having an inlet 66for water, and anoutlet 61 for steam to be conducted by a suitableconduit '63 into reaction chamber 60.'

To discharge the nitrogen of the air and noncondensable gases, generatedby the process from the condensing chamber, when the gaseous fuel supplyto the internal combustion engine is furnished by the carburetor, anexit pipe from the condensing chamber is provided with a check valve 68at its outer end so as to allow the discharge of these uncondensablegases and to prevent air from entering the condensing chamber.

What is'claimed is:

1. The method of producing from a high boiling fuel oil a continuous andself-maintaining st ply of fuel for a gasoline internal combustionengine, said method comprising: heating to a predetermined reactiontemperature a reaction zone connected with the intake of said engine andcontaining a catalyzer; causing a mixture of oil, air and water to reactin aforesaid zone; continuing the reaction by its own exothermic heat;producing gaseous reaction productsin excess; condensing the excess ofthe gaseous reaction products; and feeding said condensate to thecarburetor of said engine.

2. The method of producing from a high boiling fuel oil a continuous andself-maintaining supply of fuel for a gasoline engine, said methodcomprising: heating to a predetermined reaction temperature a reactionzone of the intake of said engine containing a catalyzer; causing amixture of oil, air and water to react in aforesaid zone; continuing thereaction by its own exothermic heat; producing the gaseous reactionproducts in excessjcondensing the excess of the gaseous reactionproducts; feeding some of said products directly to the engine; andstoring the condensate in revaporizable relationship of reserve to saidengine.

3. The method of producing from a high boiling fuel oil a continuous andself-maintaining supply of fuel for a gasoline internal combustionengine, said method comprising: heating a reaction zone to apredetermined reaction temperature by the heat set free in the operationof said engine;

causing a mixture of oil, air and water catalytically to react inaforesaid zone; maintaining the reaction by its own exothermic heat;producing gaseous reaction products in excess; condensing the excess;storing the condensate; and complementarily feeding non-condensedreaction gases cally to react in aforesaid zone; producing gaseousreaction productsin excess; condensing substantially all the gaseousreaction products; storing the condensate; and feeding the revaporizedcondensate into the engine.

5. The method of producing from a high boilr ing fuel oil a continuousand self-maintaining supply of fuel for an internal combustion engine,said method comprising: heating a reaction zone, containing a catalyzer;to red glow heat; producing gaseous reaction products in excess by mix-Ill) ing said oil, air and water in aforesaid zone;

feeding part of said products directly into said engine; condensing partthereof for carburetion; and continuing the reaction by its ownexothermic heat.

6. The method of producing from a high boil- "ing fuel oil a fuel foroperation of a gasoline internal combustion engine, said methodcomprisingz' heating a reaction zone, containing a catalyzer, to redglow heat; mixing said oil, air and water in aforesaid zone; continuingthe reaction by its .own exothermic heat; producing admixture of therevaporized condensate.

9. The method of operating with a high boiling fuel oil and internalcombustion engine for low boiling fuel oil, said method comprising:mixing said high boiling fuel oil, air and water in the presence of acatalyzer; heating said catalyzer by the exothermic heat of operatingthe engine with the reaction products; condensing substantially all thegaseous reaction'products; storing the condensate; and feeding it intothe engine.

10. The method of producing from a high boiling fuel oil a continuousand self-maintaining supply of gasified fuel or fuel gasiflable atsubstantially atmospheric temperatures, said method comprising heating areaction zone containing a catalyzer to a predetermined temperature,

causing a mixture of oil, air and water to pass downwardly through thereaction zone and over the catalyzer, continuing the downward move mentof the reacted mixture beyond the reaction zone and into a condensingzone, circulating a cooling medium through the condensing zone, andcontinuing the reaction at the reaction zone under the exothermic heatof the reaction while condensed products of the reaction are led awayfrom the condensing zone.

11. The method of producing from a high boiling fuel oil a continuousand self-maintaining supply for an internal combustion engine ofgasified fuel or fuel gasiflable at substantially atmospherictemperatures, said method comprising heating to a predeterminedtemperature with the exhaust gases of the engine a reaction zonecontaining a catalyzer, causing a mixture of oil, air and water to passdownwardly through the reactionzone and over the catalyzer, continuing.the downward movement of the reacted mixture beyond the reaction zoneand'into a condensing ,vzone, circulating a cooling medium through thecondensing zone, and continuing the reaction at the reaction zone underthe exothermic heat of the reaction while condensed products of thereaction are led away from the condensing zone.

12. The method of producing from a high boiling fuel oil a continuousand self-maintaining supply for an internal combustion engine ofgasiiled fuel or fuel gasiflabie at substantially atmospherictemperatures, said method comprising heating to a predeterminedtemperature with the exhaust gases of the engine a reaction zonecontaining a catalyzer, causing a mixture of oil,

air and water to pass downwardly through the reaction zone and over thecatalyzer, continuing the downward movement of the reacted mixturebeyond the reaction zone and into a condensing zone, circulating acooling medium upwardly through the condensingzone, and continuing thereaction at thereaction zone under the exothermic heat of the reactionwhile condensed products of the reaction are led away from thecondensing zone.

' 13. The method of producing from a high boiling fuel oil a continuousand self-maintaining supply for an internal combustion engine ofgasified fuel or fuel gasifiable at substantially atmospherictemperatures, said method comprising heating to a predeterminedtemperature with the exhaust gases of the engine a reaction zonecontaining a catalyzer, causing a mixture of oil, air and water to passdownwardly through the reaction zone and over the catalyzer, continuingthe downward movement of the reacted mixture beyond the reaction zoneand into a condensing zone, circulating a cooling medium throughthecondensing zone and the reacted mixture passing through thecondensing zone and in a general direction opposite to that of themovement of the reacted mixture, and continuing the reaction at thereaction zone'under the exothermic heat of the reaction while condensedproducts of the reaction are led away from the condensing zone.

JOHN T. HAVEKOST. OI'IO K. ZWINGENBERGER.

p CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. v Patent No. 2,oao,h2o. May 1 1957.

JOHN T. HAVEKOST, ET AL.

It is he r e'oy certified that error appears in the printedspecification of the above numbered patent requiring correction asfollows: Page 5, first column, line 1+5, after the reference numeral"16" insert a comma; line 1+6, strike out the reference numeral "25";line 1 .7, beginning with the words "This catalyzer" strike out all toand including the word and period "destroyed." in line 61 and insertinstead the following paragraphs:

This catalyzer, before the mixture of oil, air and steam is passed overit, is preheated to a temperature sufficiently high to start thereaction. l

when such temperature is reached, the above described mixture isdirected upon the catalyzer. The oxygen of the copper oxide attacks theoil, inthe presence of steam which is admitted chiefly to avoidexplosions in the reaction zone, and lighter hydrocarbons are formed.The oxygen of the air then re-oxidizes the copper or other metalcatalyzer. By this alternate reductionof the metal oxide to metal, andthe re-oxidation of the same, the process of transforming the heavy fueloil proceeds. Through this reaction, aminor fraction of the 011 isdestroyed. 4

and second column, line 1h, after "closed" insert a comma; line 17,strike out the period after closed" and insert instead asemicolon; line21 for "pass" read passes; line 25, strike out the period after "shown"and insert instead a semicolon; line 55 strike out "the"; linefilp,insert a comma after "closed"; line 58-, strike out "and the wholemixture passes" and insert instead the words to then pass as onemixture; line 1+9, for "exhaust readconduit and for "conduit" readexhaust; line 51, strike out "the"; line 61;., for "decomposition" readtransformation; page 1+, first column, line 58, beginning. with "It isone" strike out all to and including the word and period "resistance,"in line 57, and insert the following paragraph It is one of thedesirable features of our method that the mixture of the oil spray, airand water vapor passes through the reaction chamber in a verticaldirection, that, at each area or cross-section of said reaction chamber,the .spaced reaction between the catalyzer andthe original mixture of Iapplied substances'isuniform and that consequently also the spacedrelation between the catalyzer and the gases, result-r ing from thecontact of aforesaid mixture 'with said catalyzer is uniform; It isevident, therefore that theafore said mixture everywheremeets. with thesame equal resistance so as to gua antee aneven distribution in eacharea, with v the result that the chemical reaction goes on evenly withineach single area of the reaction chamber, and that the generation of thegaseous products in the reaction chamber is thus confined t'o'sn area inwhich they are subjected toa relatively mini. I mum anduniform'frictional resistance. 7

and second column, line 8, after "process'f insert a comma; line7h,claim 5, str'ike-out the semicolon after "catalyzer and insertinstead a comma; page 5, first column, line 57, claim 9, for "and" readan; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with thesecorrections therein that the same conform to the record of the case inthe Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 26th day of October, A. D. 1937.

Henry Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

